How Colorado's Recruiting Class Compares to the Rest of the Big 12

The Colorado Buffaloes are ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten for the recruiting class of 2027, according to Rivals' rankings, but how does coach Deion Sanders' group of commits compare to the rest of the recruiting classes in the Big 12?

Colorado Firmly Belongs in No. 3 Spot

The Buffaloes have the No. 3 class in the Big 12 and the No. 38 overall class in the nation, per Rivals. When ranking by the average rating per commitment, Colorado ranks No. 4 in the Big 12 behind Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Arizona State. Only the Red Raiders and the Wildcats are ranked ahead of the Buffs in the general rankings while the Sun Devils sit at No. 11 overall in the Big 12, per Rivals.

colorado buffaloes quarterback recruiting class rankings andre adams deion sanders darius darden box texas tech red raiders — Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Still, the average rating reveals that Colorado has found a balance of both quality and quantity. Instead of adding numbers to the roster, "Coach Prime" and company are adding more talent than a majority of the rest of their conference foes.

Texas Tech will likely sign the best class in the conference again in 2027 after doing so in 2026. The Red Raiders' class is on the smaller size with 17 commitments, but the quality of recruits committed to Texas Tech is by far the best in the Big 12.

Texas Tech also leads the conference with 12 blue-chip recruits (four-star or five-star prospects) in the Red Raiders' class, and Colorado is the next-closest team in the Big 12 with 5 blue-chip recruits committed to the Buffs. Kansas State, West Virginia, and BYU all have 3 blue-chip recruits in the class of 2027, behind Colorado and Texas Tech but ahead of the rest of the conference.

Colorado Buffaloes' Shift Back to Recruiting?

After a few seasons of relying on the transfer portal to build out the roster, the Colorado Buffaloes appear to have shifted their strategy towards high school recruiting a bit more in the class of 2027 than compared to previous years.

While some of the most high-profile Buffaloes like offensive lineman Jordan Seaton (now at LSU), wide receiver Omarion Miller (now at Arizona State), and quarterback Julian Lewis all joined the program as high school recruits, Colorado's class of 2027 seems to be the deepest one that Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders has brought in since arriving in Boulder.

The class of 2025 for Colorado ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten, per Rivals' rankings, with only 14 commitments. That group of recruits was headlined by Lewis, a four-star quarterback and top-100 overall recruit, as well as four-star EDGE London Merritt (now at Clemson), four-star offensive lineman Carde Smith (now at Memphis), and four-star wide receivers Quentin Gibson and Adrian Wilson (now at North Carolina).

Only Lewis and Gibson remain at Colorado out of Colorado's top commits in the recruiting class of 2025, which could explain why "Coach Prime" and the Buffaloes were more hesitant to build with high school prospects. In the class of 2026, Colorado signed 21 recruits, but the Buffs' class ranked 16 out of 16 teams in the Big Ten, per Rivals.

The class of 2027 is a different story, though, with 20 recruits committed to Colorado by the end of July.

Colorado Buffaloes Class of 2027

Andre Adams, four-star quarterback
Dewey Young, four-star offensive lineman
Jaiden Kelly-Murray, four-star wide receiver
Gabe Jenkins, four-star safety
Li'Marcus Jones, four-star offensive lineman
Coderro McDaniel, three-star offensive lineman
Ba'Roc Willis, three-star EDGE
Kaylon Bailey, three-star linebacker
Kylan Bobo, three-star running back
Samari Howard, three-star safety
Kenny Fairely, three-star defensive lineman
Jahmiere Daniels-Portis, three-star linebacker
Davon Dericho, three-star cornerback
Ryan Ferdinand, three-star wide receiver
Jovon Pulliam, three-star EDGE
Drew Sapp, three-star EDGE
Zaquan Linton, three-star offensive lineman
Prince Washington, three-star cornerback
Will Rasmussen, three-star cornerback
Boogie Talib, three-star offensive lineman

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